Coronavirus Invented New Words
Coronavirus changed the way we think, what we do and how we speak. For a word nerd like me it is very exciting to be able to access new words right away without waiting for a new edition of the dictionary. Being a non-native speaker who learned to speak by reading while growing up in India, Oxford Dictionary was my constant companion. Since moving to America I have grown to like Merriam Webster Dictionary. To me it is a lot less uptight than Oxford.
Will we want to remember all these new Corona words and be reminded of the time how it shut down the world at large? Maybe we never want to forget how life can change in less than day.
COVID-19 itself went into the Merriam Webster Dictionary in a mere 34 days.
Long Hauler is a person who experiences one or more long-term effects following initial improvement or recovery from a serious illness (such as COVID-19).
Bubble also gained an additional meaning: an area within which sports teams stay isolated from the general public during a series of scheduled games so as to prevent exposure to disease.
Cancel culture has been made very popular by Fox News. Cancel Culture means the practice or tendency of engaging in mass canceling as a way of expressing disapproval and exerting social pressure, which isn’t really about COVID, but it does have a way of distracting us from COVID.
I’m writing this blog while WFH (Working from home). Yes, it is in the dictionary now.
Introverts will probably continue to use the word, “Self-isolate, meaning to isolate or separate oneself or itself from others.” post pandemic.
Contactless doesn’t mean not wearing contacts but it means not involving contact. Contactless inventions have the potential to become big business ideas.
Carrying PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) became normal during this past year.
But, I really believe the word we need to normalize is SIPD (Staying in Pajama Day). I’m going to write to the Merriam Webster Dictionary to add SIPD. Imagine talking to coworkers and telling your boss you can’t come to work because of SIPD. Maybe we should write a sign a petition to dedicate a day to SIPD.
If you want to check out other pandemic words, check out the link below.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Prati Kaufman is a speaker and entrepreneur based out of West Hartford, CT. She partners with entrepreneurs to scale their business with laser-focused, integrated marketing. She has a best-in-class digital marketing agency to provide small business owners and entrepreneurs with the right digital marketing tools, resources and initiatives to build their brand, reach more customers and meet the business goals.
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